Kuroko Tetsuya was
by Invincible Shadow
Summary: Kuroko plays shogi with Imayoshi to learn how Akashi thinks. Imayoshi and the rest of the Generation of Miracles learn some things about Kuroko along the way. Set during Seirin's match against Rakuzan in the Winter Cup. Canon divergence. Imayoshi/Kuroko brotp, implied Kuroko/GoM
1. Chapter 1

**This was born out of my unjustifiable love of Imayoshi and a need for a Kuroko/Imayoshi brotp and a Kuroko/GoM fix-it fic. Plus, you can't honestly tell me that you don't think Kuroko is a lot more sly and intelligent than people give him credit for. I mean, c'mon, his entire play revolves around observing people and manipulating their attention; you cant tell me that doesn't take at least a bit of analytical thinking. Also, I realise Imayoshi might seem a bit OOC - I know. Creative freedom and all.**

 **anyway, drop me a line and tell me what you think ;)**

* * *

 _Kuroko Tetsuya was not an evil guy._

Far from it. He was not cunning in the way that Hanamiya was, or off-puttingly insincere like Imayoshi, or even capable of "seeing the future" like a certain redhead he was currently playing claimed to be able to do.

But he was also far from the meek, forever genuine _puppy_ others seemed to see him as. He was determined, he had absolute faith in his teammates and he was occasionally deemed as 'sappy' with his declarations of trust and faith in his teammates, but that was not all he was. He also took all the measures he could to win. And it just so happened that he _had_ to win this game.

And for that, he needed to do something only _he_ could do. The final pieces were finally in place.

(Something almost like a smirk graced his face, and Mayuzumi's eyes widened)

 _Kuroko Tetsuya was determined to a fault._

* * *

"Very good, Tetsuya-kun!" a quiet chuckle followed the sly praise.

Up in the stands where the person sat, the people around him turned to face him in shock. "T-the fuck, Imayoshi?!" Aomine snarled, startled by the familiarity with which the Captain of Touou murmured his ex-partner's name, and the uneasy feeling that told him the bespectacled raven knew something he would not like.

"Mou, no need to be so hostile, Aomine." the other replied sweetly, his trademark insincere grin never faltering. "I was merely proud of Tetsuya-kun for how well he's playing the game." he pacified, yet the way he said it implied he was referring to a slightly different game than the one that was talking place below them.

"The fuck you were! And since when do you refer to Tetsu so familiarly, eh?!" the ace of Touou was far from pacified, despite Imayoshi's words and Momoi's efforts beside him.

"Besides," Wakamatsu interrupted, "he really isn't doing _that_ much. It was Kagami awakening the team ZONE that really picked up Seirin's spirit!" he argued. Just as Aomine was going to snap at the blond that it was obviously thanks to Tetsu that Kagami was able to open the second door, Imayoshi replied.

"That may be so." he admitted easily, seemingly not at all bothered by the fact that all eyes of the Touou players were on him. "But that's still not enough for Seirin to win." he ignored Sakurai's surprised gasp, glasses glinting ominously in the bright light. "No, the only thing that can bring Tetsuya-kun's darling team to victory is what he plans to do with the pieces in his grasp."

"Pieces in his-! This is not shogi, you crazy bastard!" Aomine raged, thrown off. Imayoshi was making it sound like Kuroko was doing something special, something different, and Aomine struggled to understand a) what it was that his ex-shadow was doing b) why he was doing it; surely with Kagami pulling them along and the newly lifted spirits of the team, they could beat Akashi? Or was Tetsu doubting them...? Before he had more time to ponder, Imayoshi chuckled again.

"On the contrary, Aomine. Tetsuya-kun might look like he's playing basketball, but in his mind is a shogi board. Now the only move he has left is to either _check_ Akashi or to resign the game."

The dark bluenette eyed the Captain critically and shrugged, dismissing him. "Whatever. Tetsu doesn't even play shogi so I have no idea what you're talking about." he grumbled.

"Oh, he doesn't, does he?" Aomine definitely did not enjoy the grin on the other's face or the _'I-know-something-you-don't'_ expression. "Then how do you explain him playing with me nearly _every day_ since they defeated us?" the raven inquired slyly. Momoi's gasp and wide eyes told him that she just figured something out as she was starting at Kuroko in horror, a look he had never seen on her face when directed at the powder bluenette before. Yet, she did not make any indication that she was going to share her discovery with him, so he decided to pester Imayoshi instead.

"What do you mean him _playing_ you?! As if he would actually seek you out!" he snapped at the grinning man. "Besides, that was before their game with Murasakibara, or Kise - Kuroko has a lot of blind faith in his teammates and is almost stupidly determined, but those games were not easy! They nearly lost, both times! Tetsu had no guarantee that he would get to play Akashi at all. And even if he did, how could _you_ help him anyway?!"

"I think you're underestimating your dear shadow's faith in his teammates, Aomine." his senior replied slyly before addressing the second part of his question. "That, and you seem totally oblivious to the fact that some of the ways in which Kuroko plays and thinks are quite similar to Akashi's. They are both analytical, strategic thinkers, despite different uses of said observations. Also, it's like Akashi said: despite being a shadow, Tetsuya-kun utilises flashy, game-changing moves that put him as the focal point of Seirin's offense. Kagami might look like Seirin's light, but it's Kuroko who really determines the outcome of the games. So what he needed was an advantage over Akashi, something the other wouldn't expect. I merely helped provide him with that, just as you did with the Phantom Shot."

 _Kuroko Tetsuya was not an idiot_.

Aomine was looking at him with the look that clearly said he thought he was insane, but Imayoshi's grin merely grew. "Think about it; the Vanishing Drive against Shuutoku - it threw Midorima and Takao off, disrupting the flow of the game in Seirin's favour. The jump he did for the loose ball in the game against us awakened Kagami's ZONE, then there was his Misdirection Overflow, not to mention that he was the source of the pass for the last basket that allowed them to win. His shot against Murasakibara - the source of the first two points against the Shield of Aegis. The block he delivered to Murasakibara at the end of the game, stopping Yosen from making the winning basket. Figuring out how to induce a particular style of play from Kise to leave them those all important four seconds to win the game. Overwriting his presence with Mayuzumi's to allow him to steal passes, aiding Kagami with that Quasi Emperor's Eye of his. All of that puts him as a central point in Seirin's victories - with all that in mind, doesn't his style of play remind you of someone? A certain redhead, in fact? The only difference is really the view on teamwork, one regarding it as essential the other as means to an end, but they both have the same 'if all wise fails, I'll have something up my sleeve' mentality."

 _Kuroko Tetsuya was more than met the eye_.

Aomine tried in vain to wrap his head around what the crazy captain of his was spouting. Was it possible that Tetsu's 'team basketball' was just a means to an end for him as well, despite what Imayoshi said? No, no way - he shook his head, chasing the notion away - he played with the squirt for years and saw his play now with Kagami; trust like that was impossible to fake, and like Kise had said, the determination to aid his team from the shadows was real. He relaxed, deciding that he would not give Imayoshi, the sick bastard, the satisfaction of messing with his head. He knows Tetsu, probably better than anybody else. While he won't deny that some of the things Imayoshi said raised some suspicions and were slightly disconcerting - (because they brought his attention to the fact of just how important Tetsu was and just how stupid he had been) - he decided that he won't risk the relationship he only just managed to fix over some misplaced suspicion. Besides, Tetsu is not Akashi. He can't see the future.

"Ah. Now you're underestimating Tetsuya-kun's analytical prowess. Well, not surprising, really." Imayoshi smirked and Aomine grew uneasy with how it seemed that the raven could read his mind. "Tetsuya-kun can't predict the future of his opponents, that's true. Which is why he asked to play shogi with me; Akashi approaches a game of basketball like a game of shogi, as you probably already know, and in that aspect, we're quite similar. Tetsuya-kun realised that soon after our game and asked if I'd help him understand how Akashi thinks because, despite some interesting similarities, Akashi is much crueller than Tetsuya-kun, which influences the decisions he makes. And, well, who was I to say no since I won't deny being curious about what in him could've held your interest for so long? Plus the sweetening of the deal when, after about the third visit, he also offered some embarrassing stories from your times in middle school?" Aomine groaned and Imayoshi laughed excitedly. "By the way, how did you enjoy a popsicle down your shirt, huh, Aomine-kun?" beside him, Momoi laughed, familiar with the story already, while Aomine just felt betrayed by his shadow; that was embarrassing, damn it!

"But, back to the game at hand; Tetsuya-kun has all the pieces in the best place he can probably get them in the minute that's left. This is his time to act; the deciding action of the game."

Momoi leaned over Aomine's shoulder, a look like she knew what the deciding action was going to be but for the first time hoped to be wrong clear on her face. "And what's the action going to be, Imayoshi-kun?"

At that, the Captain of Touou merely grinned and adjusted his glasses, impossible smirk widening even more. "He's going to predict which pawn Akashi will use."

* * *

Down in the courts, Akashi had just increased Rakuzan's lead to seven points, and Kuroko grew worried that what he and Imayoshi had worked on in their shogi games, his plan to learn how Akashi thinks and to finally be able to predict _his_ future would be for nought. Already, so many things had surprised him in this game. He had _hoped_ that he would be able to somehow bring back the old Akashi, but he did not entertain that possibility too much; yet as the change did in fact transpire, and passing became more favourable for Akashi than scoring himself, just as it had been during their Teiko days, he was annoyed at himself for not putting more faith in the potential of his and Kagami's teamwork. He could feel the hot claws of panic squeezing his lungs to the point where breathing was becoming increasingly difficult. Suddenly, he caught a glimpse of light reflecting off somebody's glasses up in the stands and he forced himself to calm down and take a deep breath. Him and Imayoshi had worked hard the past few days, (he would admit to even somehow enjoying the raven's company) and although he had not managed to beat the elder, he had had his king in _check_ once, a feat that surprised even Imayoshi, although he still ended up winning. He remembered what the elder had told him then;  
" _It's just like with Kise's quirks when it comes to copying the Generation of Miracles - everyone subconsciously avoids using the same move consecutively, but they will still have one play that they favour over others. Work out that quirk, and exploit it._ "  
For Kise, the quirk was Aomine's drive, as was clear during his game with Haizaki or even Kuroko's own team. And the longer Kuroko watched the redhead, the surer he became that Akashi's quirk was his pass to the shooting guard, Mibuchi.

But now, with less than a minute left on the clock and Rakuzan five points ahead, (all thank Kagami-kun's counterattack dunk for narrowing that lead down again) Kuroko just knew that Akashi would play for time; a quick pass for a three pointer was not the most favourable choice, with the lead being as marginal as it was, a quick score enabled quick come-back for the opposition. So Kuroko needed to force that quirk, to make Akashi see the future Kuroko _wanted_ him to see. And he had an idea of just how he could do that. On their way to defense, he murmured to Kagami to lean slightly more to his left, to make it seem as if he is more concerned with the potential pass to Mibuchi than Hayama. Kagami sent him a puzzled look but nodded regardless. Kuroko took in the positions of the players on the court; Akashi at the top, Mibuchi and Hayama on either side, spread out along the top of the three point line, Mayuzumi on Hayama's left in the corner, and Nebuya in the middle, fighting for position with Kiyoshi.

Kuroko took a deep breath. What he was doing was a gamble, and a dangerous one at that. But he needed to break Akashi out of his ZONE, and for that, he grudgingly agreed with Imayoshi; he needed to break him mentally. He needed to somehow convince the redhead that he was not absolute. The first crack appared when Kagami dunked on him. The second when they stopped his offense. The third when all of Seirin entered ZONE-induced speed. The fourth would be the final one, and it was something he could not share with his teammates because it was something he could not have Akashi predicting; he needed to steal Akashi's pass to Mibuchi, thereby exposing his quirk and destroying his absolution. But for that, he needed to get three or four steps ahead.

He gazed at his mark, Mayuzumi, and couldn't help an inward expression of indignation at how he could've been afraid of him; the pale-haired player he had no love for basketball, as was clear from the look of boredom on his face as the last few seconds ticked by. Kuroko knew that he needed to somehow force Akashi to pass the ball to Hayama, then convince the redhead to demand it back and send it flying to Mibuchi, but that would only happen if he could see that Hyuga's attention was directed elsewhere which would result in a pass to 'open' Mibuchi. But Kuroko would be there, ready to intercept the pass and lead the fast break that would take Seirin to victory. Now, what would grab Hyuga's attention long enough for Akashi to exploit? Kuroko gazed at Mayuzami again, noting how his left foot was slightly in front of his right, then gazed at Hyuga's position on court. _Perfect._ He winced, remembering Hanamiya, but accepted that as his only option. As the ball left Akashi's hands and traveled towards Hayama, Kuroko put all his weight on his left side and stepped on Mayuzami's foot.

"Hey!"

 _Kuroko Tetsuya was not a saint._

* * *

 _"Hey!"_

Imayoshi outright laughed. No, really, he was in stitches. It seemed even he had underestimated Kuroko and his determination to win. Imayoshi was the only one who had not missed the bluenette's foot landing on that of his copycat, being the only one paying attention to Kuroko rather than the potential for another one on one between Kagami and Akashi. The indignant call that came from Mayuzami, seemingly for nothing according to the other viewers, and Imayoshi realised the goal of such a sneaky action; Hyuga's attention momentarily shifted from his mark to the source of the commotion, and immediately, the pass came back to Akashi, and the redhead didn't even turn, merely sent it further along its path to the now unguarded Mibuchi and -

Straight into the waiting arms of Kuroko.

A few quick dribbles and a Phantom Shot later, and the difference in scores was three points. The sound of the buzzer indicating a made basket was the only thing that managed to bring everyone, on and off court, out of their stupor. Seirin, as well as the people rooting for them erupted in cheers. Others were staring at the court, mixed expressions of shock, surprise and awe on every face. Kuroko's teammates finally caught up with him, as all had stayed on the other end of the court, too shocked by the quick change of possession, having been equally as taken off guard by the sudden steal as Rakuzan appeared to be.

And Akashi. Oh, _Akashi_! Imayoshi was laughing fully now, full, uninhibited chuckles coming freely and escaping into the hubbub that rose after Kuroko's steal. The redhead was standing there, arms still outstretched towards Mibuchi, staring blindly between the spot that the ball should have reached and the empty tips of his fingers, eyes wide and uncomprehending, mouth opening and closing but no sound came. Clearly, he had not expected anyone to figure out his quirk, much less to force him to act on it. He could see the cogs turning in the redhead's head, everything from the sudden noise to Kagami's faulty defense forming the same puzzle that Kuroko had pieced together a few seconds prior, and the narrowing of his eyes that followed when the pieces finally fit.

Turning his gaze from the redhead to Seirin, Imayoshi watched as they joyfully trekked back, carefully setting up their full-court man-to-man stealth defence. But the opposing team had yet to move to take the ball from the referee waiting at the other end. Imayoshi smirked. Two more seconds and the ref will call a turnover. Either Rakuzan gets themselves together or they're surrendering the chance for another score. Mayuzumi was the first to snap out of the daze, running towards the referee to in-bound the ball.

But Akashi's eyes were on Kuroko.

* * *

Aomine's eyes were wide as he started at Imayoshi in shock. "You're telling me playing _shogi_ with you got him to beat _Akashi_?!"

Imayoshi grinned. "A game's a game. And one Tetsuya-kun and I have been playing for a while." deciding to be a bit nicer, he expanded slightly, "It didn't allow him to _beat_ Akashi. It allowed him to see how I, and, by proxy, Akashi, approach the games mentally."

"That's stupid as f-!" Aomine began but was silenced by the sudden hush that fell over the arena as Akashi walked up to Kuroko, closer than marking him would call for, closer than even his teammates stood when discussing tactics or congratulating each other. No one in the stands could hear what was being said, but the people closest to the duo paled considerably and stared at Akashi in horror. Suddenly, the shrill call of the whistle startled everyone as the referee called a five seconds violation to inbound the ball.

"Alright, our ball!" he heard Hyuga bellow joyfully and the rest of Seirin followed, leaving Akashi behind. The rest of the Generals eventually came back on defense but they were distracted, and Mibuchi was a second too slow on getting to Hyuga on defence and the Captain sunk a three pointer and was awarded a free throw for Mibuchi's foul. Seirin was now ahead by one point. Imayoshi smirked. 15 seconds left on the clock. But the real showdown had only just begun.

 _Kuroko Tetsuya was not to be underestimated._

* * *

"I don't know what stunt you think you pulled there, Tetsuya; I am absolute, I am final and I do not fumble. So, explain." angry crimson eyes bore into Kuroko's, and the pale bluenette remembered a similar situation with Imayoshi, the time when he had had the raven's king in his _check_ and it had startled the usually stoic captain so out of his comfort zone that he must bluntly asked _"How?"_ and Kuroko had secretly taken great pleasure in sharing with him the cause behind his near-downfall. " _You've become predictable, Shouichi-kun._

He gazed at Akashi now, deciding that the whole reason behind the games with Imayoshi led to this moment, to breaking down that final barrier. "You've become awfully predictable, Akashi-kun."

Imayoshi watched with something that felt an awful lot like pride as the Rakuzan team fell out of the Akashi-induced ZONE, and thus grew too sluggish to keep up with Seirin's passes, and how in the last few seconds, the offense's perseverance paid off and they found an opening in the form of Izuki, the shot sinking just as the buzzer went off, signalling Seirin's win.

By three points, the Winter Cup was theirs.

Chaos broke out.

* * *

After everyone on Seirin had thoroughly hugged, congratulated, cried and laughed together, after the official awards ceremony, after the Generation of Miracles that had been up in the stands came round Kuroko, hugging, congratulating and looking happier than he had ever seen them, after various family members gushed over their incredible sons, after Kuroko reunited with Ogiwara and thanked him for his continued support, after Akashi had slowly walked up to Kuroko, shook hands and exchanged a few words that left the powder bluenette positively beaming, after he had witnessed countless meaningless teams come and congratulate Seirin, and only after Kaijo, Shutoku, Yosen, and his own team were downstairs and still celebrating with the victors as well as the sullen Rakuzan mulling around them, only then did he come down from the stands and onto the court, blending with the crowd but _not_ , most definitely _not_ , because pale blue eyes immediately found his own half closed ones, and he was on the receiving end of a thousand-watt grin and a gleeful, unrestrained call of "Shouichi-kun!" (which needless to say attached the attention of pretty much everyone gathered there) and he suddenly had his arms full of frail pale blue boy and the shocked stares of all who witnessed the scene, only then did he bend down so his eyes were level with the bluenette's and said in the most sincere tone he could muster "Well done, Tetsuya-kun."

And when he realised that he was suddenly surrounded by all the people he'd played and with the Generation of Miracles coming towards him led by Akashi, who seemed to be in a much too good mood for someone who just lost, and all the others trailing behind him with smiles or hopeful expressions on their faces, he realised that he had yet to let go of the petite bluenette.

"I can't believe you beat Akashicchi by playing shogi with Aominecchi's captain of all people, Kurokocchi!" Kise exclaimed loudly making sure that the attention they had gathered stayed on them. It was in that moment that Kagami decided to push his way into the circle as well.

"Oi, Kuroko, why didn't you tell me that you were playing shogi with this creep?" he asked, pointing at Imayoshi distrustfully.

Kuroko sighed, but still made no move to extract himself from Imayoshi's arms and the raven did not feel particularly inclined to be the one to end the contact either. He rather enjoyed the indignant squawking of the Kaijo captain and Midorima's face that was gradually starting to look more and more like his hair and the way Seirin seemed to think that this was some sort of prank as they kept looking around for some hidden camera because obviously _their dear darling Kuroko cannot possibly be standing calmly in Imayoshi's arms and chatting idly with the Generation of Miracles like the past year didn't exist._

"Besides," Kagami continued, oblivious, "why shogi anyway?"

Before Kuroko could answer, Akashi cut in. "Tetsuya saw a similarity, a weakness he could learn to exploit. Imayoshi-san was the person whom he knew would help him, am I right?" the redhead inquired, and at Kuroko's nod smiled. "Very good, Tetsuya. More analytical and sly than I had expected of you. I'm impressed." and if Kuroko had been beaming before, he was definitely glowing now. "Come now, Tetsuya. I'm taking you all out for dinner."

"Like old times, Akashi-kun?" the sheer hope in the bluenette's voice would've melted any lesser man, but Imayoshi stood tall (the same could not be said for Momoi, Riko or Kise - all three were varying shades of red at Kuroko's unexpected cuteness)

 _Kuroko Tetsuya was, occasionally, very adorable._

"Yes, Tetsuya." Akashi acknowledged. "Just like old times."

Kuroko turned to Imayoshi, head tilted up considerably to be able to look at the older teen. "Thank you so much, Shouichi-kun." he thanked quietly. "And if you don't mind, I'd still like to continue our shogi games. I still need to win." the last sentence was delivered with the same competitive glint in his eyes as he had seen during their games, both on, and off court.

"Of course, Tetsuya-kun." he agreed easily, at which Kuroko smiled one last time and detached himself and started walking off with Akashi, the other four following them till Aomine and Kise stopped before Imayoshi, suspicious eyebrows raised.

"How the hell did you get Tetsu to refer to you so familiarly?" Aomine asked, apparently still in disbelief at the 'Shouichi-kun' that left his partner's lips.

"'Cause we've been teammates with Kurokocchi for three years and we're still on a last name basis." Kise continued, eyeing Imayoshi up.

The Touou captain laughed. "I appealed to his competitive side with a simple bargain; winner of every game gets loser to do what he wants. Just so happens that my first request was that he call me by my name." he explained, grin only growing when from a few metres away came Kuroko's sly addition of; "That was actually one of his more _innocent_ requests." the implications of the bluenette's words causing those who heard them to tinge pink. As Aomine and Kise ran out demanding that Kuroko explain _what the hell he meant by that_ , Imayoshi established one final, important thing:

 _Kuroko Tetsuya was a goddamn tease._

* * *

 **honestly, I just love Imayoshi, and I just love the idea of him bringing out Kuroko's mischievous/analytical side, like we saw glimpses of in the anime (popsicle down Aomine's shirt, siccing Nigou on Kagami, appearing to make it his goal to startle as many people as humanly possible every time, etc) also, one thing I noticed while watching the anime is that Kuroko is not as much of a shadow as a self-proclaimed shadow would imply - all the things Imayoshi listed actually took place in the games and always had a very important outcome in Seirin's favour.**

 **also, I can't NOT jump on the 'Kuroko-is-not-as-innocent-and-clueless-as-people-make-him-out-to-be' bandwagon. I mean, c'mon!**

 **hope you enjoyed this random one-shot, might or might not add in a second chapter describing the dinner or the reactions of others, etc.**

 **but for now,**

 **lots of love,**

 **I.S**


	2. Chapter 2

**Here is the second instalment, as some people were asking for it, and I discovered that I absolutely adore writing sneaky!Kuroko. Also, there is a lot of Imayoshi in this, but I just love his character, regardless of how much of an ass he may be.**

 **I apologise if characters are OOC - I know they might be, but hey, creative freedom and all ;)**

 **Explanations for why things happened the way they did will be at the bottom, if you find something else that sticks out to you, feel free to drop me a line and ask!**

* * *

Kuroko felt something suspiciously like nostalgia hit him like a tsunami; somehow, they had ended up at Maji Burger, all six crammed into a small booth, with barely enough space between them to unwrap the burger (or _burgers_ in Aomine's case), and although their elbows and knees bumped at every movement, and there was no space left on the table to place his vanilla milkshake on, and he felt even more like a child by being crammed between Aomine and Midorima, Kuroko had never felt more at home.

This, the easy way in which they interacted, even with Kise and Aomine's bickering, Midorma and Akashi's staring contest (no doubt over the rejected handshake), and Murasakibara's obnoxiously loud chewing, _this_ was what Kuroko had placed every effort, every cell that could still hope, every last bit of energy towards restoring. Because in Teiko, they had been teammates, and sometimes rivals on court, but they were friends off court too. And Kuroko desperately needed that back.

"-su! Oi, Tetsu!" Aomine's loud voice brought him out of his musings even as he subconsciously reached out to swat at the hand that his old light was waving in front of his face.

"My apologies, Aomine-kun; I must have spaced out slightly. Was there anything you wanted?" though his voice was just as monotone as always, he had still not dropped the small content smile that had been on his face since he left the sports hall with his old team beside him.

"Psh, stop being so formal, seriously!" the other snorted. "I actually asked if, you know, since you have beaten all of us here, was there any one of us you were surprised to have won against?" That was... oddly articulate for Aomine and he wondered how long the ace had been sitting on that particular question.

Kuroko paused, surprised, though he tried not to let it show, yet that became an even harder task when he realised that a hush had fallen over the others and all eyes were on him, clearly expectant. He sighed, "Hai, Aomine-kun, there was." and just because Imayoshi had brought out the side of him that enjoyed toying with people, he left it at that and went back to quietly slurping on his milkshake.

 _Three... Two... On-_

"Well, who the hell was it?!" Kuroko had to hide a grin at the other's predictability. He raised his gaze from his milkshake, making sure to keep it as clueless and unassuming as he could (though from Akashi's raised eyebrow he could tell that the redhead had caught on to what he was doing and was mildly amused) and replied, "I had not realised that was part of the question, Aomine-kun." he stated blandly, chuckling inwardly at the other's frustrated groan.

"Daiki's incompetence at asking a simple question aside," Akashi interrupted, all eyes once again on him. "I, too, am curious as to who that person was."

Kuroko sighed. Well, it seemed as if he would not be able to keep that particular piece of information to himself after all. Feeling the weight of the others' eyes heavy on his shoulders, he looked up from his position between Aomine and Midorima; Kise was directly opposite him, Akashi on the blond's right and Murasakibara on his left. Kuroko's gaze travelled from one face to the next, before it dropped, seemingly finding the table before him very fascinating as he admitted this particular secret.

"It was Kise-kun, actually." he started, ignoring the sudden silence that befell; he knew the others were certain he was going to say Akashi. He decided not to look at the redhead, unsure what he would find on his face. A hesitant, though, genuinely touched 'K-Kurokocchi?' gave him the encouragement he needed to continue. "Kaijo has been good for Kise-kun. He has grown, probably the most out of all of us, both as a player, and as a person. Back in Teiko, with his style alone he was a force to be reckoned with, but now, that Kaijo had improved his individual skills and drilled into him the importance of teamwork, he really is a formidable opponent, because he learnt that he doesn't have to play alone. I had encouraged that development, but... even I didn't realise its potential. I think that, even if I had lost that game, I still would've been somewhat happy, because Kise-kun played with a smile on his face throughout the game, regardless of the score or his injury. And that was something I had missed, dearly."  
Kuroko took a deep breath, held it for a few seconds then released it, finally daring to look up at his teammates. What he saw didn't shock him as much as he thought it would; Akashi had a calculative look on his face, but that was an expression Kuroko was familiar with. Murasakibara had stopped mid-chew, and was looking at the bluenette with something akin to childish curiosity mixed with irritation, but Kuroko had grown used to that look, because the two had rarely gotten on when it came to basketball due to their clashing ideals about what it stood for. Aomine, predictably, was gaping, but no harsh remark or sarcastic snort left his lips, and Midorima seemed to be contemplating something. But it was Kise who surprised Kuroko the most, because the blond had tears flowing freely down his cheeks, and the most open, grateful expression the pale bluenette had ever seen on his face.

"Kurokocchi... Thank you!" and judging by the tone of his voice, Kuroko was certain that if it hadn't been for the table separating them, he would've already long been subjected to Kise's embrace. Kuroko smiled at the blonde and gently laid his own hand on Kise's outstretched one, fingers wrapping around his and squeezing once for comfort.

"So the way to bring out Ryouta's full potential is by physical violence. Hm. Interesting." Kuroko's head swivelled to Akashi, who had been the one to have spoken, and did nothing short of gape at the redhead, because _how on earth do you arrive at that conclusion from what he'd -_

 _Oh. Kasamatsu._

And before he realised the bait for what it was, he saw red. "No, Akashi-kun, that's not what I said." he replied, and he saw Aomine freeze beside him at the sickly sweetness of his voice; it seemed that his impression of Imayoshi was getting rather good, based on the bluenette's reaction. "In fact, it is _so far_ from what I had said that I'm surprised something so foolish even left your mouth." Now it was Midorima's turn to freeze and he heard Aomine choke from beside him, but all he did was grip Kise's hand tighter, as if that would somehow be enough to stop whatever crazy schemes were currently brewing in Akashi's mind. "Kise-kun's full potential was brought out by his teammates' _trust_ in him. Trust not because he was _Kiseki no_ _Sedai's_ Kise, or because he is Kise Ryouta the famous model, but because he is _Kise-kun_ , and that is enough, and his views and skills and him as a person are valued and respected and encouraged to grow, because even if he stumbles or gets lost, his team will be there to guide him down the right path. And although Kasamatsu-san does raise his hand at him occasionally, he does so to _all_ of them, and it's just how he works; besides, he doesn't just abuse, he nurtures and cares, too. Like a _real captain_ should." when the haze of red has cleared and Kuroko realised what he'd said, he was certain he'd pushed his luck, but he was too stubborn to take his words back, and, frankly, seeing how Kise's hand was trembling with emotion from where it was still encased within his own, he didn't _want_ to take those words back.

And then, Aomine was laughing, Murasakibara joining shortly after, and even Midorima let out something that sounded like a pleased chuckle, and when Kuroko looked at Akashi, the redhead did not seem angry - he seemed pleased, and a small, proud smile graced his face.

"It seems Seirin has been good for you too, Kuroko." Midorima murmured from beside him, a strange tone to his words.

"Now Kuro-chin can actually back up all those weird claims of his." Murasakibara acknowledged, going back to his dessert now that the situation had been diffused.

"You've grown some serious balls, Tetsu." Aomine added, ruffling his hair. Kuroko grew confused, turning to Kise, who was just smiling serenely at him, then to Akashi who was watching him curiously.

"I don't understand. You're not angry." though he had meant to make it a question, the words came out sounding more like a statement than anything else.

A small smirk graced Akashi's face. "I am not. You were right, Tetsuya." Kuroko was sure he was resembling a fish at that point. "What you described was true in Ryouta's case. I just needed to make sure that you were as convinced that I was wrong as I was that you were right. And you did not disappoint." Kuroko's stoic mask lay somewhere, broken and crumbled in the dust, and he felt a familiar burning behind his eyes for the second time that day. "In fact, after this, I wouldn't mind going to the courts to see how our basketball fares against each other's, particularly after your influence. Three on three should be sufficient."

Kuroko sat in silence for a few minutes til Aomine calmed down enough to glance at him and- "Why the hell are you crying, Tetsu?!" he barked out, clearly surprised. But his shadow merely turned to him with the most disarming smile on his face, tears still coming freely, and mumbled "I'm just so happy, Aomine-kun." and he saw his smile mirrored by the five around him, yet before anyone could reply, a commotion drew their attention to the entry doors to the restaurant and Kuroko's eyes widened when he saw that nearly all the teams which had Generation of Miracles players in their teams, his own included, were suddenly trying to cram themselves into the small space between the door and the counter, overwhelming the cashiers with the sheer size and rowdiness of the group.

"Sei-chan, there you are!" Mibuchi Reo made his way to their table, followed by the other Generals from Rakuzan, Kasamatsu, Takao, Imayoshi and Seirin trailing behind, while the rest of Kaijo, Touou and Shutoku were trying to place their orders. Mibuchi's eyes flitted over to Kuroko who was still crying, and he had enough time to watch the other's eyes widen before he was unceremoniously yanked from his seat and pulled into the shooting guard's deceptively strong chest, one of his arms going round his shoulders while the other stroked through his pale blue locks, much like a mother would. "It's no news you can be harsh, Sei-chan, but how could you make him cry?! That's mean, even for you!" the other kept up with his tirade, arm tightening around Kuroko's shoulders til the bluenette was slightly struggling to breathe, ignoring the snickers of Aomine and Kise, torn between elbowing Mibuchi in the ribs so he would let go and staying to enjoy the gentle hand carding through his hair. He was saved from his odd predicament by Kasamatsu, who somehow managed to extract him from Mibuchi's grasp without getting in the cross-fire that was currently taking place with Mibuchi rebuking Akashi for 'making his teammate cry', Akashi trying to glare Aomine and Kise into silence, Kagami's indignant shrieks that 'Just because you were his bloody teammates does not give you the right to just whisk him away without telling anyone where you're going, damn it!' which finally got Kise and Aomine to stop laughing enough to argue with Kagami, and Kuroko managed to slip away, unnoticed save for Kasamatsu, Imayoshi, Takao, Himuro and Mibuchi (who somehow escaped from the scene that was unfolding in the restaurant) who followed him out.

"Thank you, Kasamatsu-san." Kuroko bowed to the Kaijo captain, patting down his hair from where Mibuchi had ruffled it. At the other's gruff 'don't mention it' he turned to Mibuchi with a small frown, wiping his tears away. "I wasn't crying because I was upset, Mibuchi-san." he clarified, surprised when the other laughed and waved him off.

"Oh, I know, Kuroko-kun. But riling Sei-chan up is just so much _fun_ , wouldn't you say?" he grinned, exposing a set of perfect teeth and a small dimple. Kuroko reciprocated the smile, albeit with a much smaller one, but there was a mischievous glimmer in his eye. "Indeed, it is."

Takao snorted. "You really have been hanging out with him recently, eh, Kuroko?" the Shutoko pointguard asked, jerking his head at Imayoshi who had yet to say anything since leaving the restaurant.

"Hai, Takao-kun," the pale bluenette replied. "Shouichi-kun taught me a great many things."

"Even about yourself." Imayoshi finally spoke, smirking, arm going round Kuroko's shoulders, who, to Takao and Himuro's surprise, made no move to shrug it off, and merely parroted the words back at the bespectacled teen. Instead, Kuroko's grin grew, until it morphed into a wince as the unmistakable sound of shattering glass reached their ears and he sighed.

"Excuse me. It seems as if I have to educate my friends on proper restaurant etiquette." the phantom player murmured, extracting himself from Imayoshi's grip, and walked back into the restaurant, the laughter of Takao and Mibuchi following him.

The four left outside watched through the glass windows as the chaos that had erupted in their absence was stopped the second Kuroko announced his presence.

Aomine, who had been giving Kise a noogie while the other cried and wailed to the ones around him to help him grudgingly let go, muttering to himself while Kise tried to glomp Kuroko in thanks, but the other gracefully side-stepped the blond. Kagami and Midorima, who had been engaged in a staring contest broke it off, nodding at each other and looking away the second Kuroko neared them. Murasakibara, who had been glaring at Hayama as the other had stolen a piece of his cake, reluctantly got up to order himself another one, while Akashi, who was being yelled at by Riko (if any of the four had to hazard a guess as to 'what for' they would most likely say it was for dragging Kuroko away from his new team) casually got up from the table and bowed to Riko, murmuring something that immediately quietened her rage. The members of the Generation of Miracles huddled around Kuroko for a second, before they all went to rejoin their respective teams, clearly by the bluenette's request.

"He has them all wrapped around his little finger, doesn't he?" Takao chuckled.

"To think that Sei-chan would be the one _being_ manipulated, for once. Huh." Mibuchi commented.

Himuro stared at Imayoshi with a calculating look in his one visible eye. "I wonder..."

Imayoshi chuckled, understanding what the other was getting at. "Oh, no, not at all, Himuro-kun. I didn't have anything to do with that. No, this," he waved his arm in a grandiose gesture to indicate the scene in the restaurant, "this is all Tetsuya-kun, and I'm pretty sure it's not a new thing." he was grateful when he realised the other three knew he was referring to Kuroko's sudden control over the five most impossible to control people they'd ever stumbled upon. "Although I will admit that Tetsuya-kun is quite similar to someone I already know, so perhaps it had something to do with how I guided him along..."

* * *

 _Earlier_

Imayoshi was just leaving the sports hall after the Generation of Miracles had disappeared and the other teams had also started leaving, the rest of Touou in tow, when a familiar voice called out from one of the shadowed corridors. Excusing himself, Imayoshi slipped away, joining the other in the alcove with two armchairs tucked away in the corner, where the speaker was already lounging comfortably.

"Anything in particular you want, Makoto-chan?" he asked sweetly, knowing how annoyed the other tended to get at the nickname. The same was also true this time, as Hanamiya's brows scrunched together, a scowl marring his alabaster face.

"I hear you found yourself a new shogi partner, Shouichi." he spoke, voice mocking as always.

"Is that jealously I hear, Makoto-chan?" Imayoshi crooned, smirking. "Don't worry, you'll always be my favourite adorable _kouhai_."

He could see that Hanamiya was struggling not to snap at him or flip him off, but the other's allure had always been his infallible charisma, and for someone as jaded and brutal at heart as Hanamiya, pulling off that charismatic farce required a great deal of great quality acting. And just like that, Imayoshi saw as the other settled into a persona like one would slip on a pair of gloves.

"I'm just worried that he's not _challenging_ enough for you, Imayoshi- _kun_." the younger murmured, the honorific sounding acidic when uttered by his lips. "How could one as cunning as you be challenged by someone as vanilla as _him_?"

"Though you might find it surprising, Makoto-chan, Tetsuya-kun actually plays quite similarly to you." Imayoshi announced, not at all thrown off when the other merely laughed in his face, the façade of the concerned kouhai breaking apart like a shattered mirror.

"Oh, please, as if he is anywhere near my level." he snorted derisively.

"If you had been listening, Makoto-chan," Imayoshi began, tone no less pleasant than before, "you'd have realised that I was not comparing your 'level' or _intellect_ , but merely referring to the way you both approach shogi." at the other's raised eyebrow (rare, because Hanamiya rarely asked for others to elaborate, so Imayoshi counted that as his win in their little mind game) he elaborated, "You play basketball the same way you play shogi; you try to convince your opponents that there's only one threat, whereas in reality you're piecing together something that separately looks like nothing special, but the big picture when all the pieces join together is even more dangerous than the original threat. Tetsuya-kun has the same approach in shogi, hence why I've been able to win against him every time. I do, after all, have a lot of experience in dealing with sneaky bastards trying to get me to underestimate them, ne?" he murmured, even though his tone never lost its sickly-sweet quality. "Besides, it's like you said; your styles may be similar but he's nowhere near your _level,_ chan." Imayoshi parrotted back at him in a tone dripping with condensation and Hanamiya glared.

"Whatever. Just make sure you don't get too _attached_. If he's anything like me, this win was just a piece to a puzzle and you were merely a means to an end; soon enough, he'll get bored of you. Just like _I_ did~!" and the other's mocking laughter was all that was left as he walked off, leaving Imayoshi alone with his thoughts.

* * *

 _Pieces to a puzzle, huh?_ He thought as he watched the Generation of Miracles yet again huddle around Kuroko, this time with their phones in their hands and tentative smiles on their faces.

He nearly laughed out loud when he realised what the big picture was; Kuroko just wanted his old team back to how they were in middle school - oh how _innocent_ his big picture was in comparison to what Hanamiya would've come up with!

 _Nearly_ laughed out loud.

Because he did not feel like laughing when he thought back to what the single pieces looked like when separate, and he suddenly viewed the bluenette in a new light, Hanamiya's words repeating in his head like a broken record.

 _Perhaps I should introduce him to dear Makoto, but this time let their battlefield be a shogi board instead of a basketball court?_ He mused, thinking that they might _just_ get on off-court.

He shook his head, this time chuckling quietly, earning a weird look from the Kaijo captain. Who was he kidding? He knew how it would turn out:

 _They'd either try to kill each other,_ he thought, realistically this time, _or fuck_.

And as he looked back inside the restaurant, eyes trained on the self-proclaimed shadow, Kuroko turned and, as his blue eyes sought out his own, he saw the unsettling victorious glint that shone clear as day for a few seconds in the bluenette's eyes and that look sent a shiver down Imayoshi's spine and forced him to reconsider his earlier assumption.

 _Or_ , he thought, an unpleasant feeling niggling at the back of his mind, _they'd work together and ruin everyone else._

He smirked as he slowly made his way back to his own team, eyes never leaving Seirin's shadow.

 _Kuroko Tetsuya was a much more interesting phenomenon than people gave him credit for._

* * *

 **And here it is! Hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it~!**

 **Yes, I had Kise be the one who surprised Kuroko because, a) S3E3, "I believe in you, Kise-kun!", b) Kise's Perfect Copy is fuckin' perfect and a force to be reckoned with which would've beaten Kuroko if he had not been the main protagonist, c) after Kaijo vs Seirin, "Kise-kun of Kaijo really is the best" or something to that extent, which was _never elaborated on!_ So I took that liberty. Also, everyone knows the GoM is secretly Kuroko's harem, c'mon ;)**

 **Hanamiya made an appearance! Mainly simply because I love him, but then I realised how well he actually fits with what Kuroko does (I know it sounds weird, but lemme explain) - In his game against Seirin, Hanamiya made it seem like his team's only strength was dirty play, so when they broke out the spider's nest thing, everyone was surprised cause they had underestimated him, and after _that_ was broken, Hanamiya used his 'teardrop shot' to stamp home that _he can score whenever he wants_ so from a measly rat he actually became a decently formidable opponent. And in a way, Kuroko's Misdirection relies on the same principle - people see him, his style, his faith in his teammates, and underestimate him, because relying on his teammates obviously means that he can't do anything himself. And I think that Kuroko encourages that, in a way, because his style requires observing people, and so he'd be the best person to know the psychological effect on somebody when something they thought was useless or wouldn't work ends up being the game-changer, and he GoM appear particularly susceptible to that; Shuutoku lost because Midorima and Takao were beaten by the Vanishing Drive - it escaped Hawk's Eye, which was supposed to be foolproof against Kuroko. Touou was beaten by Misdirection Overflow, Yosen by the Phantom Shot, Kaijo by Kuroko inducing a certain play by Kise, and Rakuzan by Kuroko Overwriting his presence with Mayuzumi's, and his Quasi Emperor's Eye, all after he had led every team to believe he's useless. Similarity? I think so.**

 **TL;DR - I might include a separate one-shot with Kuroko playing shogi against Hanamiya and teaming up against Imayoshi if anyone requests that, because I absolutely love Hanamiya, the sarcastic twisted shit he is.**

 **Anyway, hope you enjoyed!**

 **Love,**

 **I.S**


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